Comedy Central’s T.V. Funhouse

Rating NR Formats DVD Genre television series Starring Doug Dale Directed by Various Publisher Comedy Central

I remember watching the T.V. Funhouse segments on the once funny Saturday Night Live years ago and finding it undeniably hilarious.  So when I sat down to watch the failed Comedy Central series that I was unaware even existed, I had high hopes and was almost positive that this would be my new favorite underrated show that was cancelled because of the public’s poor sense of humor at the time.  I began watching the first episode and being somewhat disappointed with the content but thinking to myself, “this could get better.”  I was dead wrong.

This show obviously was cancelled for a reason.  And the reason is that it was terrible.  The set designs are an obvious rip-off of Pee Wee’s Playhouse and the dialogue reeks of a failed SNL skit that was rehashed by creator Robert Smigel.  But, again, I kept thinking that maybe the show itself is just terrible and the short cartoon segments, which are what the show was primarily based upon, will be funny enough to save my sanity.  Wrong again.  The cartoon bits are just as dumb and unfunny as the show itself.

Now, I have no problem with stupid humor as long as it’s done with some amount of intelligence.  But this show seemed like it was written on the spot while being heavily intoxicated.  The show is hosted by Doug Dale, and it is painfully obvious why he hasn’t done anything else other than this show.  His acting is wooden and he has no comedic talent whatsoever.  But, in his defense, it’s not as though he has a good comedic script to work with in the first place.  The show is based around Doug and his group of foul-mouthed animals as they present a new theme for every episode.  It always leads to the animals leaving Doug by himself and going off to random events such as cockfights and bordellos.  The idea seems clever at first but soon gets repetitive and tedious.

The animal puppets, or “Anipals” as they are referred to, are so obnoxious to the point of annoyance and soon enough it becomes difficult to even consider their antics humorous in the least.  Granted the show is intended for adults, which is purely obvious when we see the Anipals constantly cursing, drinking and smoking, yet they do it so blatantly over the top that it becomes extremely stereotypical and unoriginal.  It almost makes you wish that there will come an episode where they journey off and never return.  Sadly enough, that never happens.

Robert Smigel goes on to say that this show was cancelled because it was so ahead of its time and people weren’t ready for such crude humor coming from puppets.  He states that, “nowadays you can hardly turn the dial without seeing characters eating their own poop,” and that raunchy sitcoms wouldn’t be around today if it weren’t for the underrated T.V. Funhouse.  That may be.  The big difference is that the raunchy adult television shows that are aired today have a sense of intelligence backing up their crudeness and it is clearly evident.  This show is just stupidity at its finest.  Any hormonal fourteen-year-old could think up the premise of this show while sitting in the lunch room trying to make their friends laugh so hard that they shoot milk out of their noses.  There is not one ounce of intelligence or well thought dialogue associated with this show.  But, in the end, maybe it’s just me.